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How often do you find yourself in the shade of the mammoth Tree of Life at Disney’s Animal Kingdom, and think: “Gosh, a tasty beverage would sure hit the spot right now.”

Upcountry’s Shangri-La Berry Freeze at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

If you’re anything like me, that happens pretty often, actually! Ever on my quest to try everything in all the parks, today I’m heading back to Upcountry Beverages in search of refreshment. [Editor’s Note: Since the writing of this post, the name of Upcountry Beverages has been changed to Warung Outpost.]

Atmosphere

Haven’t heard of Upcountry Beverages? It’s on that trek between Harambe Village in Africa and Anandapur in Asia. You’ll find Upcountry situated just outside of the Flights of Wonder attraction.

Sign at Animal Kingdom’s Upcountry

The cute little kiosk has a sort of rustic Asian theme happening, so it’s the perfect decor for blending into this area — the Africa-Asia crossroads.

Upcountry Kiosk at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

There’s no real seating right next to the kiosk, but you’ll find a few stand up tables under the building’s overhang, just in case you’d like to put your drink down and rest for a bit. And nearby (across the path), you’ll find real table and chair seating areas not far away.

Eats (But Mostly, Drinks)

Don’t plan on eating much when stopping by Upcountry — this is pretty much liquid refreshment. Head to Mr. Kamal’s nearby for more serious sustenance. There are a couple — no really, two — snack-type eats here. But nothing even approaching a meal.

These drinks have a serious fan following. Some of our readers think that they’re just about the best frozen margaritas at Disney, and worth a trip to Animal Kingdom just to try one!

But since I had already indulged in the hi-octane bevs, I decided to try out the non-alcoholic choice this time around — and opted for the Shangri-La Berry Freeze.

Shangri-La Berry Freeze — Up Close

All of the frozen drinks here are smooooooth, since they’re kept whirring in those big, commercial drink machines. That makes for a really creamy consistency with no icy chunks. Here, you can see the standard issue AK paper straw.

Shangri-La Berry Freeze with Animal Kingdom Paper Straw

This was, of course, delicious. It’s basically a strawberry margarita without the tequila or lime. Just strawberry puree and sugar frozen to a slushie consistency, so what’s not to love?

In a perfect world, I would probably like a zip from some lime juice. But still, this is pretty great when you’re hot and thirsty.

This shot of the menu is a bit blurry, but I wanted to include it so you could see the prices for that “extensive” food menu.

Menu — Click to Enlarge

But who needs food when you have tasty drinks, right?

Overall

I love this spot. When we first reported on it a while back, it had quickly become one of my favorite places to grab an icy drink on a muggy, Florida day. And every time I try something new here, I love it just a little more. I’m so glad that it seems to be a permanent fixture at this point. It’s Animal Kingdom’s answer to the Margarita Stand in Epcot’s Mexico Pavilion.

Definitely stop by and try the Shangri-La Berry Freeze if you’re looking for a refresher, or even a sweet frozen treat. Whether you go with one of the Sauza margaritas or the berry freeze, you’ll be fueled up for more touring in short order.

Have you tried the drinks at Upcountry? Leave a comment and tell us which one is your favorite!

Comments

In January we tried this stand on our visit, because of your review of the Triple Yeti Blast (which was so delicious and I’m not a huge Margarita fan). Our boys shared on of the Berry Blasts (which was a good size) and they loved it as well!

We were visiting on a very muggy June day in 2012. Since we’re from Las Vegas, the humidity and direct sun was hard on my kids. We found this stand and it was like we did stumble on Shangri La. My daughter loved the berry drink so much that my son, who doesn’t like berries tried it and asked for one. It was perfect to sip as we waited for the Flights of Wonder show.